The Eight O'Clock News
by Quadrantje
Summary: The press gets involved after Sydney's disappearance season 2 finale. SV. AU.


This is the last Alias-fic I wrote while being in France on holiday and it'll probably be the last one in a while because I'm out of ideas. This idea just came to me and wouldn't go away, so I wrote it down after I'd finished all my other Alias-fics. It's very different from how I usually write, mostly the style. I am however very proud of it, it's different, but I really like it. I know some people won't like this style, but I felt it would loose most of its 'magic' if I wrote it like I normally do. The style just fits with the story itself. I hope you like it and please review; I live for those! 

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to 'Alias'. No infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

**A man's voice**

,,And now the SVT eight o'clock news with Susan Waterloo!"

_The intro sounds and the SVT-logo moves on screen, at the last tunes of the intro the image changes and the anchor lady, sitting behind a desk and with a TV behind her, comes into view._

**Anchor lady**

,,Hello, I'm Susan Waterloo and welcome to the eight o'clock news. Today on SVT news: First Lady visits hospital for thermally ill children, problem with new Fiat engines and the toy hype of this season."

_With each news topic the images on the TV behind Susan change, showing pictures of the scenes she mentions._

**Susan Waterloo**

,,But first back to Los Angeles, We've received new information on yesterday's murder of Francine Calfo."

_The screen behind Susan changes to a picture of Francie._

**Susan Waterloo**

,,Brad Reddington is on the scene. Brad, what can you tell us?"

_The whole screen blackens for a moment before Brad appears standing in front of Sydney and Francie's house, where a crowd has gathered, consisting mostly of neighbors._

**Brad Reddington**

,,Hello Susan! I'm standing here in front of the house belonging to the deceased miss Calfo and Sydney Bristow, who vanished yesterday and is believed to be the killer. We have received Intel from an anonymous source telling us miss Bristow doesn't work at a bank, as her neighbors told us, but is in fact a CIA operative. Our source also confirmed that the other body we saw being carried out yesterday belongs to Will Tippin, the journalist caught last year doing heroine and who admitted making up all his reports concerning SD-6. He too is a friend of miss Bristow. Mr. Tippin has been moved to the hospital and is in a coma. Officials think miss Bristow, in a rage, stabbed Will Tippin and then shot Francine Calfo, who put up quite a fight. Police all over the country has been notified and are on the lookout for miss Bristow. What is that?"

_Brad, distracted by the commotion suddenly starting behind him, turns around and tries to determine the cause of the noise. Suddenly Vaughn appears out of the crowd. He looks terrible; his suit is covered in dirt and dark circles have appeared underneath his eyes. The greatest change in him however, is his expression. His normally kind or serious façade has made way for a look of total fury. With large steps, he makes his way through the crowd, towards Brad. His green eyes look like emeralds, his anger making them sparkle more beautifully then ever before._

**Brad Reddington**

,,Sir, what are you doing here? This area is reserved for the press, you aren't allowed here."

_Brad looks intimidated, but Vaughn doesn't even acknowledge him and walks straight over to the camera._

**Michael Vaughn**

,,Sydney's innocent, you hear? She would never hurt Francie or Will, she'd risk her life for them! But that wasn't Francie. That was the double. Sydney didn't kill her, it was self-defense!"

_Brad looks totally bewildered for a moment, but quickly catches up again._

**Brad Reddington**

,,Er... and who are you?"

_His confidence is back and he holds his mike in front of Michael._

**Michael Vaughn**

,,I'm Michael Vaughn, a colleague and close friend of Sydney's."

**Brad Reddington**

,,A colleague? As what exactly?"

**Michael Vaughn**

,,I was her handler. I'd give her her counter missions."

**Brad Reddington**

,,Counter missions? Counter what?"

_Brad gets more excited with every sentence._

**Michael**

,,Against SD-6. Sydney was a double agent against SD-6."

**Brad**

,,SD-6? Isn't that that rogue agency that Mr. Tippin made up? Are you saying it actually exists?"

**Michael**

,,Will didn't make it up. He had to say that or SD-6 would've killed him."

**Brad**

,,And what about you? Aren't you worried they'll kill you?"

**Michael**

,,We destroyed them a few months back. Thanks to Sydney."

**Brad**

,,And why do you think she's innocent? What was that talk about miss Calfo being a 'double'?"

**Michael**

,,A while ago we found out Sloane, the former head of SD-6 who got away when we destroyed it, had got his hands on dr. Markovic's invention which makes it possible to clone someone, change one person into the exact duplicate of someone else. We knew Sloane had cloned two people. We knew who the first one was, but the second double has stain hidden for a long time. Until yesterday, we even suspected Will Tippin, but we got prove that cleared him. Syd was so relieved. She'd been worried sick about him. But the tests have shown Francie was the double. You mentioned there'd been a fight, but that weren't signs of just a struggle; the whole house was torn apart! No, that was a fight to the death between tow highly trained agents."

**Brad**

,,So you say miss Calfo was a fake who injured Mr. Tippin. Then when miss Bristow came home and saw her friend hurt, she fought with miss Calfo and shot her? Then where did miss Bristow go? Maybe she went mad after all that drama and fled?"

**Michael**

,,You don't know Sydney. She's the strongest woman I've ever met, physically and mentally. She's already lost her fiancé once, Sloane had him killed. At the same time she found out SD-6 wasn't a covert branch of the CIA, as she'd been led to believe, but the enemy she thought she'd been fighting against and that her dad knew this and still worked for Sloane. And you know what she did? She didn't panic or broke down or anything! That's what most people would have done, if not something worse. No, instead she went on a mission without any kind of assistance from SD-6, to get Sloane one of the things he was after, walked right in there and bought back the trust of the man responsible for the murder of her fiancé. Directly after that, she went to the CIA and told them she could help them bring down SD-6. Imagine how that looked! She still had Bozo hair from that mission and the cheapest outfit you'd ever seen. We all thought she was crazy! But she wasn't and she became one of our best agents. She did that for a long time; pretending to see Sloane as a kind of father figure when I know all she wanted to do was strangle him, or something else painful. For over a year she was a double agent and she still managed to have a private life. She even got her English major in that time! She came close a few times during that, but she never went mad or freaked or something. She always stayed herself and kept fighting. I've seen it, people who go insane from this kind of job, or become emotionless just to keep those emotions from killing them, but not Sydney. I know she wouldn't just leave. And after that fight with the fake-Francie, she probably couldn't either."

_Vaughn ends his speech there and turns abruptly away from the camera. Brad is looking thunderstruck and still holds the microphone where Michael's face was a few seconds earlier. Vaughn starts to walk away. His fury is gone and he just looks more tired that we've ever seen him. Seeing Vaughn walk away shakes Brad out of his shock and he runs a few paces after him. Coming to a halt beside Vaughn, he takes a few gulps of air and waits for the cameraman to reach them too. Michael has stopped and looks mildly interested at Brad._

**Brad**

,,Mr. Vaughn. Why tell me all this? I imagine it could very well get you fired!"

**Michael**

,,Because the CIA wouldn't have told you. They'd keep the whole story quiet and blame the fake-Francie's death on Sydney. I couldn't let them do that. Besides, without Sydney, it doesn't matter."

_He turns around and really walks away. Brad doesn't try to stop him this time. He just looks at Michael's retreating form. Once Vaughn has vanished into the crowd, he turns back to the camera._

**Brad Reddington**

,,There you have it viewers! An exclusive interview with a man who obviously loves miss Bristow a great deal. And if what he says about her is true, why wouldn't he? Back to you Susan!"

_The display turns back to Susan._

**Susan Waterloo**

,,Er... thank you Brad! On to the next news item. The engines in the new Fiat..."

* * *

Next week

**A man's voice**

,,And now the SVT eight o'clock news with Susan Waterloo!"

_The intro sounds and the SVT-logo moves on screen. At the last tunes of the intro the image changes and Susan comes into view._

**Susan Waterloo**

,,Hello, I'm Susan Waterloo and welcome to the eight o'clock news. Today on SVT news: Congress passes new arms law, heat waves cause largest forest burns I a decade and latest Harry Potter book breaks all sales records. But first, the latest twist in the spy affair. Mr. Michael Vaughn, whose story was yesterday confirmed by a spokesperson from the CIA, has mysteriously vanished. According to the preliminary police report, his apartment showed no signs of struggle or forced entry. There is as of yet no evidence that proves this has anything to do with miss Bristow's disappearance, but police officials state all leads are being investigated.

Washington. The congress has approved the new law concerning handguns..."

_Susan Waterloo continues with her report on the new law. The streets of Los Angeles grow steadily darker and the moon appears. Over ten thousand kilometers away, in Europe, Sydney Bristow moves in her sleep, her hand finding Michael's. Smiles adorn their faces as they sleep peacefully, finally free to live a normal life. To have a normal 9-to-5 job. To come home at six, have dinner at seven and watch the news at eight._

**Fine**

Note: It just occurred to me that 'fine' means good or... well you know. But I mean it here as 'end' the Italian meaning as used in music. Just thought I'd make that clear. Didn't come to mind before.

And thanks Alexa for the tip, I've corrected it now.


End file.
